Well, I gave this another try as well, only for testing skins so far:
With [Render_OpenGL] ,TexQual]=2 -independent of tex compress, I can see the new hi res skins.
As soon as I set the value I use since 2010, TexQual=3- a nogo.
My system:
AMD Quadcore, 4x 2.85
Win XP 32 Bit
HD 5770
3 Gigs RAM
RAM setting (IL-2 Selector 2.2.2): 512 MB
Driver: Ati 10.9
Config
[Render_OpenGL]
TexQual=3
TexMipFilter=3
TexCompress=0
TexFlags.UseDither=0
TexFlags.UseAlpha=0
TexFlags.UseIndex=1
TexFlags.PolygonStipple=0
TexFlags.UseClampedSprites=0
TexFlags.DrawLandByTriangles=0
TexFlags.UseVertexArrays=0
TexFlags.DisableAPIExtensions=0
TexFlags.ARBMultitextureExt=1
TexFlags.TexEnvCombineExt=1
TexFlags.SecondaryColorExt=1
TexFlags.VertexArrayExt=1
TexFlags.ClipHintExt=1
TexFlags.UsePaletteExt=0
TexFlags.TexAnisotropicExt=1
TexFlags.TexCompressARBExt=0
TexFlags.TexEnvCombine4NV=0
TexFlags.TexEnvCombineDot3=1
TexFlags.DepthClampNV=0
TexFlags.SeparateSpecular=1
TexFlags.TextureShaderNV=0
HardwareShaders=1
Shadows=2
Specular=3
SpecularLight=1
DiffuseLight=1
DynamicalLights=1
MeshDetail=2
VisibilityDistance=3
Sky=1
Forest=3
LandShading=3
LandDetails=2
LandGeom=3
TexLarge=1
TexLandQual=3
TexLandLarge=1
VideoSetupId=17
Water=2
Effects=1
ForceShaders1x=0
PolygonOffsetFactor=-0.15
PolygonOffsetUnits=-3.0